Book Delight with Chrissie Wright

In this episode, Chrissie shares 10 books for kids releasing in May 2025 that she is looking forward to, as well as an update about the podcast.

UPDATE: BOOK DELIGHT PODCAST IS ON HIATUS. Chrissie is taking a break to pursue other projects. At the end of summer, she will consider whether to continue the show's hiatus or start making new episodes.

In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to Chrissie's newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com and follow @librarychrissie on Instagram.

FEATURED BOOKS

Picture Books

• Cranky Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey Tabor
• The Arguers by Corinna Luyken
• Squid in Pants by Kaz Windness
• Kittybunkport by Scott Rothman, illustrated by Zachariah OHora

Chapter Books

• Lone Wolf Goes to the Library and Lone Wolf On Vacation by Kiah Thomas, illustrated by K. Fai Steele.

Middle Grade

• Growing Home by Beth Ferry, illustrated by the Fan Brothers
• The Wish Switch by Lynn Painter

Graphic Novels

• Stuck by Kayla Miller
• Creaky Acres by Calista Brill
• Camp Frenemies by Liz Montague

In this Reading Raves episode, Chrissie is sharing 8 books for kids she read and loved in April, 2025

Featured Titles

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Barnacle Bay by Jana Curll
• Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey
• Looshkin: Honk if You See It by Jamie Smart
• Newsroom Nonsense by Jess Smart Smiley

MIDDLE GRADE AUDIOBOOKS

• Pippi Longstocking and Pippi Goes On Board by Astrid Lindgren, narrated by Sutton Foster
• Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Otherwise Known As Sheila the Great by Judy Blume, narrated by Judy Blume

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this episode, Chrissie is sharing some favorites from 2025 so far.

FEATURED TITLES:

Kidlit

• The Teeny Weeny Unicorn's Great Big Wish by Shawn Harris
• Let's Be Bees by Shawn Harris
• Astro by Manuel Marsol
• Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
• Cassi and the House of Memories by Dean Stuart
• Audio: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing and Fudge series by Judy Blume

Grown-Up Reads

• My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
• Atavists by Lydia Millet
• Three Days in June by Anne Tyler
• Audio: The History of Sound by Ben Shattuck
• Audio: Twist by Colum McCann

Cookbooks

• Justine Cooks by Justine Doiron
• Pizza Night by Alexandra Stafford
• What to Cook When You Don't Feel Like Cooking by Caroline Chambers
• You Got This by Diane Morrissey

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this Forecast episode, Chrissie is sharing 10 kidlit books releasing in April 2025 that she is looking forward to.

FEATURED TITLES

Picture Books

• Earl and Worm: The Bad Idea by Greg Pizzoli (4/1)
• Oh, Carrots! by Mariajo Ilustrajo (4/1)
• Warm and Fuzzy by Scott Rothman, illustrated by Brian Won (4/15)
• Just One Wave by Travis Jonker (4/15)
• The Bear Out There by Jess Hannigan (4/29)

Graphic Novels

• Avery and the Fairy Circle by Rowan Kingsbury (4/1)
• The Cartoonist's Club by Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud (4/1)

Middle Grade

• Candle Island by Lauren Wolk (4/22)
• The Barking Puppy by Lori Lobenstine, illustrated by Il Sung Na (4/22)
• The Trouble with Heroes by Kate Messner (4/29)

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this Reading Raves episode, Chrissie shares 10 books for kids she read in March 2025 and recommends.

FEATURED TITLES

Short Chapter Books

• Unicornia: Learning to Fly by Ana Punset, illustrated by Diana Vicedo
• Eliza and the Flower Fairies by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Lenny Wen
• Bulldozer's Big Rescue by Elise Broach, illustrated by Kelly Murphy
• Troop Esme by Lourdes Heuer, illustrated by Marissa Valdez

Graphic Novels

• Team Unihorn and Woolly: Attack of the Krill by Alexis Frederick-Frost
• Oasis by Guojing
• Cassi and the House of Memories by Dean Stuart
• Wallace the Brave by Will Henry

Middle Grade

• Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blue (audio)
• Minecraft: The Crash by Tracey Baptiste (audio)

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this episode, Chrissie shares her take on how children's publishing feels right now vs. how it should be

To access the full essay including graphics of the Venn diagrams described in this episode, visit Chrissie Writes on Substack.

Also mentioned in the epsiode: David Sedaris discussing picture books and lessons

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this Library Life episode, Chrissie is sharing 4 ways that authors Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser supercharge their school visits:

1. Make a pre-game video
2. Consider the endpapers of the visit
3. Play interactive drawing games
4. Share real-life artifacts from the creative life

Check out Chrissie's Substack post all about author visits, featuring her best tips and tricks for planning and hosting.

Check out Ben Clanton's work on his website.

Check out Andy Musser's work on his website.

In the PNW and want to learn more about Chrissie's favorite indie bookstore? Learn more about Island Books on their website (located in Mercer Island, WA).

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this forecast episode, Chrissie is sharing 10 books for kids releasing in March 2025 that she is looking forward to.

FEATURED TITLES

Picture Books

• Papilio by Ben Clanton, Andy Chou Musser, and Corey Tabor (out 3/4)
• The Teeny Weeny Unicorn's Great Big Wish by Shawn Harris (out 3/4)
• Who Ate Steve by Kate Hindley, illustrated by Susannah Lloyed (out 3/11)
• Stalactite and Stalagmite by Drew Beckmeyer (out 3/18)
• Bearsuit Turtle Makes a Friend by Bob Shea (out 3/25)

Short Chapter Book

• My Mad Scientist Mom by Jarrett Lerner (out 3/4)

Graphic Novels

• Speechless by Aron Nels Steinke (out 3/4)
• Dino Poet by Tom Angleberger (out 3/25)

Middle Grade

• Alice Eclair, Spy Extraordinaire: A Recipe for Trouble by Sarah Todd Taylor (out 3/18)
• Whale Eyes: A Memoir About Seeing and Being Seen by James Robinson, illustrated by Brian Rea (out 3/18)

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this reading raves episode, Chrissie is sharing her favorite kidlit that she read during February 2025.

Featured Titles

GRAPHIC NOVELS

• Alan, King of the Universe by Tom McLaughlin
• Casey's Cases: The Mysterious New Girl by Kay Healy
• How to Draw a Secret by Cindy Chang
• Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom by Jessixa Bagley
• Mixed-Up by Kami Garcia
• Operation Cover-Up by Tate Godwin

MIDDLE GRADE

• Scattergood by HM Bouwman

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.

In this library life episode, Chrissie is sharing ideas from her library leaders program with fifth graders.

10 ways for library leaders to boost agency and book joy in the library:

1. Shelf sheriffs
2. Shelf talkers
3. Shelf shout-outs
4. Author chats
5. Window art
6. Kid librarian of the week
7. Quote of the week
8. Display curation
9. Author visit art
10. Shelf talker refresh (questionable books)

Resources mentioned in the episode:

• On the Chrissie Writes Substack: 
  • All about library leaders (application, sample slides, etc.)
  • The shelf talkers in Chrissie's library
  • Getting started with Kid Librarian of the Week
• Author Rachel Michelle Wilson's website

Be sure to subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts. You can follow the show on Instagram @bookdelightpod, follow Chrissie on Instagram @librarychrissie, and subscribe to Chrissie's kidlit newsletter at librarychrissie.substack.com.

If you want to support the show, please consider becoming a paid subscriber on Substack. For $7/month, you are helping to pay the costs of the show and receive exclusive content like extra booklists, live video Q&As with Chrissie, reviews of books Chrissie did not like, and more. 

Visit librarychrissie.substack.com to subscribe.